Dancing doll



Patented Apr. 15, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to toy devices, and more particularly to a novel dancing doll device.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved dancing doll toy which is very simple in construction, very easy to operate, and which is very entertaining, especially for children.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved dancing doll toy which is very inexpensive to manufacture, which involves only a few parts, which is very rugged in construction, and which is adapted to hold the interest of children over long periods of time.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a mechanical dancing doll toy constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the dancing doll toy of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of a modified form of dancing doll toy adapted for manual operation;

Figure 4 is a cross-section detail view taken on line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional detail view taken on line 5--5 of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1, 2, 4. and 5, I I designates a base member which may be made of any suitable material such as wood, plastic, metal, or the like, and may have any desired shape. Secured to base member II is an upstanding, Ushaped bracket l2. Secured rigidly to the top portions of the arms I3 and I4 of the bracket I2 is a first horizontal shaft member l5. Rotatably mounted in the arms I3 and I4 below shaft I5 is a second shaft I6. Designated at IT is a spiral clock spring wound on shaft I6 whose inner end is secured to said shaft and whose outer end is secured to a pin 8 carried on arm I4. Shaft I6 carries a winding key I 9 outwardly adjacent arm I3 and carries a large gear 20 which meshes with a pinion gear 2| carried on a shaft 22 rotatably mounted in arms I3 and I4 below shaft I6. Shaft 22 carries an escapement wheel 23. R0- tatably mounted in the arms I3 and I4 below shaft 22 is a horizontal bar member 24 carryin a Ushaped escapement member 25 whose teeth are interengageable with the teeth of escapement wheel 20 in the usual manner whereby bar member 24 may be oscillated by the cooperation of escapement member 25 with escapement wheel 2 23 as shaft 22 is rotated responsive to the unwinding of clock spring I'I.

,Designated at 26 is an upstanding resilient wire member secured to shafts I5 and I6 by the coiled turns 27 and 23 thereof, the lower end of said wire member being anchored to bracket arm I3 at 29. A first horizontally disposed wire 30 has one end secured to the upper end of the vertically disposed wire 26. A second horizontally disposed wire 3| is, arranged in end to end spaced relation with respect to the other end of the first horizontall disposed wire 30 and spaced above the latter wire. A riser 33 is interposed between the adjacent ends of the wires 30 and 3| and is connected thereto. A hook 32 is formed on the other end of the wire 33. Bar member 24 is formed with an upstanding lug 34 and rigidly secured to said lug is an upstanding wire rod 35 whose top end is formed with an eye 36 looped over wire 30 of the wire member 26, as shown in Figure 2, and being engageable with the riser 33. When no weight is secured to hook 32, the upward resilient force exerted by wire an on the eye 36 holds the wire rod 35 against movement and locks the escapement member 25 with respect to escapement wheel 23. When a weight. such as the articulated doll shown at 31, :is suspended from the hook 32, the wires 3|] and 3| are deflected downwardly, releasing eye 36 and allowing the escapement bar 24 to be oscillated by the escapement mechanism. This oscillates rod 35 back and forth, causing eye 36 to strike riser 33 intermittently whereby wire 3| is vibrated. The vibrations of wire 3| are transmitted to the articulated doll 31, causing the doll to jerk with each vibration, and imparting a dancing movement thereto.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the doll 31 is freely jointed at various portions thereof, as shown at 38, whereby the various members of the doll may freely swing with respect to each other. The feet of the doll, shown at 39, engage the base member II, whereby vertical oscillations of the doll cause said feet to intermittently strike the base member, causing the knee joints of the doll to bend.

In operation, the key I9 is rotated to wind up the spring l'I, after which the escapement mechanism produces the above-described oscillations of rod 35 and the vibrations of the wires 3| and 39, causing the doll to dance until spring I! is substantially unwound.

In the embodiment of Figure 3, a vertical post element 40 is secured to the base II and a resilient wire member 4| is engaged at its upper and lower portions through the post member 40 in the manner illustrated. The wire member 4% is formed with a forwardly-extending top arm' Q2 terminating in a hook at. The doll 3'! is suspended from the hook 43 with its feet es en gaging'the base and can be made to dance by manually oscillating the top arm 52 in a vertical plane.

While certain specific embodiments of dancing doll toy devices have been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is'intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A toy dancing doll comprising a base member, an upstanding bracket positioned upon said base member adjacent one end thereof and secured thereto, a vertically disposed wire super imposed upon the upper end of said bracket and having the lower end secured thereto, a first horizontally disposed wire having one end secured to the upper end of said vertically disposed wire, a second horizontally disposed wire arranged in end'to end spaced relation with respect to the other end of said first horizontally disposed wire and spaced above the latter wire,

a riser interposed between the adjacent ends of a 1 said first and second horizontally disposed wires and connected thereto, a hook positioned on the other end of said second horizontally disposed wire and secured thereto, a spring motor mounted within said bracket, an upstanding rod having its lower end operatively connected to said spring motor and having its upper end loosely connected to said first horizontally disposed wire and engaging said riser, and an ariii) ticulated doll positioned underneath said hook and dependingly supported therefrom, the other end of said doll engageable with said base member.

2. A toy dancing doll comprising a base memher, an upstanding bracket positioned upon said base member adjacent one end thereof and secured thereto, a vertically disposed wire superimposed upon the upper end of said bracket and having its lower end secured thereto, ahorizontally disposed wire having one end secured to the upper end of said vertically disposed wire, a hook positioned on the other end of said horizontally disposed wire and secured thereto, a spring motor mounted within said bracket, an upstanding rod having its lower end operatively connected to said spring motor and having its upper end loosely connected to said horizontally disposed wire and engaging an abutment formed on said wire intermediate the ends of the latter, and an articulated doll positioned underneath said hook and dependingly supportedtherefrom, the other end of said doll engageable with said base member.

' O-TBL'EI VJ DYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

